Gardening Articles: Landscaping :: Container Gardening & Ponds

Growing Cukes in Containers (page 3 of 3)

by Charlie Nardozzi

Succession Plant for Steady Harvest

Bush varieties produce fruit for roughly four weeks during the summer, but that doesn't mean you're finished with cucumbers. About two weeks after you start picking cukes, plant another crop. Most bush types mature in about 50 days, so by overlapping your plantings, you can get at least two, sometimes three crops a year in a container.

"For best flavor, harvest pickle cucumbers when they are three inches long and slicers when they're 8 1/2 long, says John Gale. Always err on the small side. Don't be afraid to pick off and discard any misshaped or overmature fruits. "The more you pick, the more flowers and fruit the plant will produce," says Gale.